Macclesfield Town Football Club Return to the Non-League Scene Chapter Five So Near and Yet So
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MACCLESFIELD TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB RETURN TO THE NON-LEAGUE SCENE CHAPTER FIVE Season 2016-2017 SO NEAR AND YET SO FAR BY GEOFFREY KNIGHTS OVERVIEW A relatively successful season reaching the second round of the Emirates FA Cup, runners-up in the Buildbase FA Trophy and ninth in the Vanarama National League, one place higher than the 2015-16 season. Third position had been attained in the league in October but this status could not be maintained with ninth position consolidated throughout the last three months of the season. Additional funds helped the club throughout the season from cup receipts including one live televised match, sale of three players together with monies raised from the 2016-17 Campaign Fund. Attendances for home league matches fell to an average of 1456 per match compared to 1598 for the 2015-16 season, within this figure there was a reduction in both the number of home and away supporters. However, the town well and truly backed the club when over 7500 supporters attended the Buildbase Trophy Final at Wembley Stadium. The overall financial position of the club continued to improve with additional funding provided by the Silkmen Supporters’ Trust and through the Super Silk Lotto, with the owner stating that he anticipated a more or less breakeven position to be achieved for the financial year. OFF-FIELD Club Officials There were four major appointments during the past year Rob Heys - appointed General Manager bringing with him 15 years of experience at Accrington Stanley in a similar role. Carole Griffiths – appointed as Office Administrator. Gary Lewis – took on the important role of groundsman becoming the second club employee to have worked at Accrington Stanley. Gary started work as a groundsman at Manchester United before moving to Salford Rugby Club. Martyn Irvine – appointed to a newly created role of Youth Engagement officer responsible for developing ways in which the club engages with young people, from birth to early adulthood. From the job description it would appear that he has taken over some of the work previously undertaken by the Community Sports Trust including overseeing the Project 21 Friday night coaching sessions and holiday clubs, school time and after school sessions and liaising with local schools and youth groups. The following personnel left the club at the end of the 2016-17 season Paul and Helen Bona – much appreciated for their work on the catering side for the club left to become landlords of a Public House in Congleton. Barrie Darcey – has played a key role in the office of the club for several years decided to take a break from the operational side of the club. Colin Brooks – the club kit man resigned from his role. Former Players Three former players died during the past twelve months Matthew Carragher - lost his battle with cancer at the age of 40 in December 2016. Matt made over 50 appearances for the Silkmen from November 2003 to the end of the 2004-15 season as a versatile player covering both defence and midfield roles although he was most effective as sweeper always reading the game well. On leaving Macclesfield Matt retired from playing football. Derek Moss – died on 18 December 2016 at the age of 81. He made just two appearances in goal for the Silkmen in December 1953 and September 1962 when the regular goalkeepers were unavailable. He played for Parkside and then Wilmslow Albion. His daughter was first brought to the Moss Rose as a baby and is still a regular supporter. 2 Roger Wood – died in April 2017 at the age of 84. Roger lived locally and played for the club from 1953 to 1961. He was a versatile player who could feature equally well either as a forward or a defender and was a member of the team which won the Cheshire Senior Cup in 1954. He made 228 appearances, placing him in the top 50 all-time player appearances, and scored 33 goals. In the 1959-60 season he enjoyed a Benefit in appreciation of his service to the Silkmen. On leaving Macclesfield Town he continued to play football well into his fifties. Efe Sodje In June 2016 the club officially announced that Efe Sodje was no longer in the employment of the club. Sodje took his case for unfair dismissal to an Employment Tribunal which in the Reserved Judgement stated that he had been suspended by the club on 29 October 2015 and dismissed on 14 March 2016. The Tribunal completed their work on 8 February 2017 when their Judgement concluded that Sodje had been unfairly dismissed and was wrongfully dismissed in breach of contract ordering that compensation be paid. Certain figures were documented but as there may have been other elements, eg pension payments, which they could not calculate, it was left to the two parties to resolve the total payment with the proviso that a further hearing could be requested if the parties could not agree. Sodje had written himself into the history of the club when he scored the team’s first goal in the Football League in August 1997. In addition, Graham Phythian may well have never written his book Saga of the Silkmen. Author of historical books, Graham was looking for his next subject when he paid a visit to the Moss Rose and was impressed with the way Sodje was interacting with youngsters which prompted Graham to believe that they was more than met the eye to Macclesfield Town Football Club. After a substantial amount of work, he filled a huge gap in the written history of the club with his book published in 2001. Season Tickets The Early Bird purchase of season tickets was again split over four phases as follows 9am Midnight Midnight Midnight Midnight March 22 March 11 April 2 May 23 May to to to to onwards 23.59 23.59 23.59 23.59 21 March 10 April 1 May 22 May Seating Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Vice President £560 £660 £660 £660 £660 Adult £320 £340 £360 £380 £400 Concessions (65+) £240 £255 £270 £285 £300 Student £80 £85 £90 £95 £100 Under 18 £50 £50 £50 £50 £50 Under 12 £30 £30 £30 £30 £30 Standing Adult £240 £255 £270 £285 £300 Concessions (65+) £160 £170 £180 £190 £200 Student £80 £85 £90 £95 £100 Under 18 £50 £50 £50 £50 £50 Under 12 £30 £30 £30 £30 £30 Vice Presidents were only given one phase at a discounted price on the basis that most Vice Presidents pay the full price. Whilst the full price remained at the same level as the previous season for all categories, the first Early Bird price was increased by 13.3% for Vice Presidents and for Adults, Concessions and Students was increased by 6.6%, with proportional increases for the remaining three phases. The Patron Scheme continued to be offered (See Chapter Three for full details) 3 The price of tickets for single league matches remained at the same level as set out on page 4 in Chapter Four of this EBook. The number of season tickets sold totalled 543 in comparison to 634 for the 2015-16 season Sponsorship Carbrini continued to be the suppliers of the players’ kit with Main club sponsors Arighi Bianchi again sponsoring both the home and away shirts and Palletower back shirt sponsors also for both the home and away shirts. Jako continued to supply match wear for the backroom staff and playing substitutes. Two stands received sponsorship with Arighi Bianchi sponsoring the London Road Stand and Premier Estates sponsoring the Star Lane End stand. Match day and general sponsorship continued to be available with details on the official web site. Events were arranged for sponsors including a networking evening in May 2016, a lunchtime meeting in October 2016 where a sponsors’ photograph was taken with them in playing kit, and an evening at the Rosanero restaurant in Mill Street which was attended by approximately 70 guests together with manager John Askey and the coaching staff. Also towards the end of the season there was an opportunity for some of the sponsors to play on the Moss Rose pitch. Silkmen Campaign Fund 2016-17 Introduced by the chairman in June 2016 at the first of his three ‘Meet the Chairman’ Meetings over the year, to raise additional funds for the playing budget with a target set at £100,000. A personalised token was issued in multiples of £50 and if promotion to the Football League was achieved at the end of the season, the club would double the amount returned with pay out in October 2017. Initially the Fund was open from June to the first league match of the season but was extended to 17.00 on 31 August 2016. It was announced early in September that a sum of £42,550 had been raised and that these funds had already been used to sign players Kingsley James, Ollie Norburn and Mitch Hancox. The fund was re-opened on 15 December 2016 until 31 January 2017 but no announcement was made whether any additional funds had been raised. It is common practice these days for Non-League clubs to raise funds in this way to bolster the playing budget. Examples for the 2016-17 season were at Matlock Town who launched their ‘Gladiators Transfer War Chest’, Aldershot Town had their ‘Boost the Budget’ initiative and Sutton United embarked on a ‘Boost a Budget’ scheme with a target of £40,000. Super Silk Lotto Having been launched in November 2014, in February 2017 it was reported that there were 245 members, income had almost reached £26,000, there was a £100 prize draw each Friday, had distributed £10,500 in prizes, was handing £500 per month to the club, and had made donations to the David Lewis organisation and Ollie’s Army charity.